This variety of tubercle has a tendency to contract and remain in the
lungs without doing much injury. But as the disease progressed, and
the breathing capacity progressively diminished, tubercular matter
occurs, evincing less and less organization, showing a tendency to
break down and cause inflammation in the surrounding lung tissue,
until at last we find crude yellow tubercles that have become
softened, and formed cavities almost as soon as they were deposited.

Some cases of chronic consumption pass in a few months through the
various stages from the deposit of the first tubercle to a fatal
termination.

The progress of the disease is determined largely by the nature of the
tubercular matter at the time it is deposited.

The variety of matter which has been partially vitalized commonly
exists in small quantity, has a strong tendency to maintain its
semi-organized condition unchanged by time, and rarely causes
inflammation.

A small or moderate quantity of this sort of tubercle exists in the
lungs of many persons, in whom it produces no tangible symptoms, and
who are therefore quite unconscious of its presence; and even when it
does exist in sufficient quantity to develop the symptoms of lung
disorder, the progress of the disease is slow, often continuing for
many years. It constitutes a variety of consumption which is specially
amenable to proper treatment. On the other hand, the soft, yellow,
cheesy, tubercular matter, which is totally destitute of any vitality,
is too often deposited in large quantities, acts on the adjacent lung